Syndicate

Sunday, April 24 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, April 23, 2011) – A strong five-furlong work over a sloppy Churchill Downs track by Michael Lauffer and W.D. Cubbedge’s Shackleford on Saturday reinforced trainer Dale Romans’ belief that his colt is a strong contender to win the 137th running of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on Saturday, May 7.

All Romans has to do is find a way to get the 3-year-old son of Forestry into the Derby 137 starting gate.

Saturday, April 23 2011

KENTUCKY DERBY HOPE TWICE THE APPEAL WORKS AT CHURCHILL

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, April 22, 2011) – Trainer Jeff Bonde wasted little time in getting a serious training move at Churchill Downs into Edward Brown Jr., Victor Flores and Henry Hernandez’s Kentucky Derby 137 (Grade I) contender and Sunland Park Derby (GIII) winner Twice the Appeal.
The 3-year-old son of Successful Appeal arrived at Churchill Downs on a flight from California on Tuesday, but made a quick turnaround to beat heavy rain forecast for the region over the weekend and breezed six furlongs over a fast track in 1:17.20 on Friday morning. Fractional times for Twice the Appeal were :13.40 for the opening furlong, :51 for the half-mile and five furlongs in 1:03.60. He covered his final quarter mile in :26.20.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, April 22, 2011) – The names of more than 1,000 horses are listed on the rosters of nominees to 13 stakes events scheduled at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby and Oaks Week and the large numbers of nominees offer the promise of strong and competitive fields for those races

The 1,002 horses on those nomination lists include previously released nomination rosters for the 137th runnings of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I); the Kentucky Oaks (GI), which this year carries a record purse of $1 million; and the 25th running of the $500,000-added Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI). The Kentucky Derby attracted 377 nominations, including 13 3-year-olds made eligible during its late nomination period. The nomination roster for the Kentucky Oaks includes 120 3-year-old fillies and 85 older grass stars were nominated to the Silver Anniversary running of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.

Wednesday, April 20 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Wednesday, April 20, 2011) – George Bolton and Fog City’s Stable’s The Factor, who loomed as a possible favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) until his seventh-place finish in last week’s $1 million Arkansas Derby (GI), got a feel for the Churchill Downs racing surface on Wednesday when he jogged a mile on his first day at the historic Louisville track.

The Bob Baffert-trained winner of Santa Anita’s San Vicente (GII) arrived at the home of the Kentucky Derby Monday afternoon following a plane flight from Hot Springs, Ark. to Lexington and a subsequent van ride to Churchill Downs.

Derby 137 - Pletcher Looks On as Uncle Mo Gallops at Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Tuesday, April 19, 2011) – The one-time heavy favorite for the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), Repole Stable’s Uncle Mo, was out for a gallop at Churchill Downs on Tuesday as the reigning 2-year-old champion started his first full day at Churchill Downs since he returned to the track on Monday.

Tuesday, April 19 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Tuesday, April 19, 2011) – Archarcharch and Nehro, who were separated by a neck in the Arkansas Derby, and narrow Toyota Blue Grass winner Brilliant Speed earned their way in the prospective Kentucky Derby 137 field Saturday.

Archarcharch, who began the week at No. 25, jumped to No. 3 on the Kentucky Derby 137 Graded Stakes Earnings List after the $600,000 Arkansas Derby first prize jumped his graded stakes earnings to $780,000. The list will likely determine the field for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 7 at Churchill Downs. Runner-up Nehro doubled his earnings to $400,000 and went from No. 22 to No. 13.

UNCLE MO, MUCHO MACHO MAN SETTLE IN AT CHURCHILL DOWNS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Monday, April 18, 2011) – Repole Stable’s Uncle Mo, the strong favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) prior to his surprising loss in the $1 million Wood Memorial (GI), and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Dream Team Racing Stable’s Mucho Macho Man, winner of the Risen Star (GII) at Fair Grounds, are settling in at Churchill Downs following separate arrivals on the grounds of the historic track on Monday morning.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Uncle Mo was led off a van by assistant trainer Michael McCarthy shortly before noon as the son of Indian Charlie returned to the scene of his victory in the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile that capped an unbeaten season and sewed up Eclipse Award honors as champion 2-year-old. He was accompanied on the flight from New York stablemate R Heat Lightning, the E. Paul Robsham Stable’s likely favorite in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (GI) following emphatic victories in the Gulfstream Oaks (GII) and Davona Dale (GII) at Florida’s Gulfstream Park.

Monday, April 18 2011

KENTUCKY DERBY 137 UPDATE Monday, April 18, 2011

SOUTH (Arkansas, Louisiana) / HOME TEAM HOPE ARCHARCHARCH RALLIES TO WIN ARKANSAS DERBY AS THE FACTOR FIZZLES – Saturday’s $1 million Arkansas Derby (Grade I) turned out to be both a win for the home team and a family affair as 25-1 longshot Archarcharch closed from 10th to grab the lead in the stretch and then held off the late charging Nehro to win by a neck before 62,634 fans at Oaklawn Park.

Southern California-based The Factor, the 4-5 favorite who loomed as the possible favorite for the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) with another lopsided win, failed to grab his customary early lead and faded to finish seventh in the field of 13 3-year-olds. The Factor was pushed early by J P’s Gusto, who rushed to the front out of the starting gate, and Dance City. The former faded to eighth, while Dance City held on for third.

KENTUCKY OAKS 137 UPDATE Monday, April 18, 2011

EAST (Maryland, New York) / POSSIBLE OAKS FAVORITE R HEAT LIGHTNING SHARP IN FINAL NEW YORK WORK, HEADS TO CHURCHILL DOWNS ON MONDAY – E. Paul Robsham Stables’ R Heat Lightning, the possible favorite for the 137th and richest running of the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) on May 6 at Churchill Downs, turned heads with a “bullet” half-mile work on Saturday at Belmont Park.

The Todd Pletcher-trained daughter of Trippi covered four furlongs over the Belmont training track in :47.50 in her first work since her April 2 romp in the Gulfstream Oaks (GII) at Gulfstream Park. The move was the fastest of 94 at the distance.

Friday, April 15 2011

Arienz, St. John’s River Head Trio of Late Nominations to 137th Running of $1 million Kentucky Oaks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, April 15, 2011) – A trio of 3-year-old fillies headed by Robert and Lawana Low’s Arienza, runner-up to Joyful Victory in Oaklawn Park’s Fantasy (Grade II), and Dede McGehee’s Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) runner-up St. John’s River make up the roster of late nominees that are now eligible to compete in the 137th running of the $1 million guaranteed Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Friday, May 6 at Churchill Downs.

The three fillies were made eligible to run in America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies during its first late nomination period that raised the total of Oaks nominations to 120. The 117 original nominees to the 1 1/8-mile Oaks became eligible through the payment of a $200 fee on or before the Feb. 19 early nomination deadline. The late nomination period, which ended April 13, required payment of a $1,500 fee. Supplemental entries to the Kentucky Oaks, which would require payment of a $50,000 fee, will be accepted at the time of entry on Tuesday, May 3.

KENTUCKY DERBY 137 UPDATE Friday, April 15, 2011

SOUTH (Arkansas, Louisiana) / THE FACTOR IS 7-5 FAVORITE AGAINST 12 FOES IN ARKANSAS DERBY – George Bolton and Fog City Stable’s The Factor, an easy winner of the Rebel (Grade III) in first visit to Arkansas, has returned to “The Natural State” as a strong 7-5 favorite in a field of 13 3-year-olds entered in Saturday’s $1 million Arkansas Derby (GI) at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia indicated this week that an impressive victory in the Arkansas Derby would likely make the Bob Baffert-trained son of War Front the morning line favorite for the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 7.

KENTUCKY OAKS 137 UPDATE Friday, April 15, 2011

MIDWEST (Illinois, Kentucky) / GRADE I WINNERS TURBULENT DESCENT, TELL A KELLY RETURN SUNDAY IN KEENELAND’S BEAUMONT – Sunday’s $150,000 Beaumont Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland attracted a power-packed field of six 3-year-old fillies headed by Grade I winners Turbulent Descent and Tell a Kelly, but the race is not expected to generate any starters for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) at Churchill Downs.

The Beaumont will be contested over Keeneland’s Beard Course, which measures seven furlongs and 184 feet.